Apparatus for driving subpiling.



H. S. TAFT. APPARATUS FOR DRIVING SUBPILING.

APPLIOATION FILED MAY 22, 1913.

Patented Apr. 28, 1914.

' 3 SHEETSSHEET 1.

H. S. TAPT.

APPARATUS FOR DRIVING SUBPILING.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 22, 1913.

Patented Apr, 28, 1914.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2 H. S. TAFT.

APPARATUS FOR DRIVING SUBPILING.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 22, 1913. v 1 094,949. Patented Apr 28, 1914.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

25 I E I E \X/ITNEEgE-g:

COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH CO W'ASHINOTDN. n. t.

HARRISON S. TAFT, OFSEATTLE, WASHINGTON.

APPARATUS FOR DRIVING SUBPILING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 28, 1914:-

Application filed May 22, 1913. Serial No. 769,215.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRisoN S. TAFT, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Seattle, in the countyof King and State of lVashingt-on, have invented new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Driving Subpiling, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to the construction of sub-piling foundations, and particularly to the positioning and driving of sub-piles.

The objects of my invention are to drive sub-piling accurately and rapidly and with a maximum of economy in situations which have heretofore opposed serious difficulties to the operation,

In the drawings hereto annexed, which illustrate my invention,-Figure 1 is a vertical section of a sub-piling driving apparatus; Fig. 2 is a vertical section in a plane at right angles to the section shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a plan view of a pile-frame; Fig. A is a top plan view of a turn-frame from which the pile-driver and its adjuncts are suspended; Fig. 5 is a detail showing the mode of connecting a pile-driver follower to a pile; Fig. 6 is a detail showing the gearing by which the turn-frame is manipulated; Fig. 7 is a detail showing the hanger for the pile driving mechanism in end elevation; Fig. 8 is a side elevation of the same; and Fig. 9 is a top plan view of the guideframe for the pile driver.

The conditions to which my invention is particularly addressed are those which obtain in under-water work Where the foundations for columns which are to hold superstructure have to be set at so great a depth below the water surface that the caisson and cotter-dam methods heretofore generally employed are either defective or inadequate. My invention may, however, be employed with economy in less exacting and difficult situations.

In preparation for setting the sub-piling and building the columnar structure which is to rest on the piling, a tubular Coffer, or sheet piling, put together in sections and provided with interior bracing, as A, is first placed into position and sunk to a suitable depth in the bottom material M. Any convenient form of sheet piling for the construction of the outer coifer A, may be used, such as for instance, the Lackawanna sheet piling. Then an interior sectional cylindrical form or tubular caisson B is placed in position inside the sheet piling A, preferably co-axially therewith, the lower cutting edge of the said form B being sunk to a desired depth into the bottom material M. The sheet piling A extends from the bottom material M to a convenient distance above the water surface; the form B from the bottom material M to a distance above said material as best suits the pile-driving operation.

The sub-piles P, each of which is preferably turned at its end to form a dowel P, are first assembled in a pile-frame composed of upper and lower ring-frames C, C and suitable vertical spaces O (Figs. 1, 2 and 3). Pile rings 0 are secured within the upper and lower frame rings 0, (l in the manner shown in Fig. 3, and if need be, a centering ring C is provided to stiffen the structure. If a central pile ring as C is employed, it may be secured to the stiffening ring C by radial struts C The piles P are so selected, trimmed or turned to size that the piles will slip readily into the pile rings 0 A group of piles P being assembled in the pile frame and temporarily secured therein, the pile frame and piles are lowered into the form B which has previously been pumped out and excavated. When the piles and the pile frame, which is of such size as to slide with a loose fit inside the form 13, are in place at the bottom of the form, the pile-driving apparatus is then placed in position.

The pile guide may be placed inside the form B without any or with only part of the piles in it and each of the piles or a part of the piles lowered down into place in the pile ring afterward, one by one or in clusters. In certain cases the piles would be located and driven by means of the pile driving apparatus before the cylinder B is put in place, the pile guide being temporarily braced to the coffer dam A itself.

The pile-driving apparatus comprises a guide frame E (Figs. 1, 2 and 9) which is made up of side channels E and cross braces E and has guide rails or ways E upon which the pile hammer frame F may move up and down. The guide frame E is slung by chains or wire ropes N from a saddle L, to which is secured the heart link K. The pile hammer frame F is suspended from the saddle L by means of the chain hoist O and its suspension chain 0. The pile hammer frame F is equipped with the pile hammer G which is preferably reciprocated and perated by means of steam or compressed air. To the lower end of the pile hammer frame F is secured the follower H (Figs. 1, 2 and 5) and this follower is furnished at its lower end with the thimble H, which is so formed as to provide a recess or socket at H for the I constitutes a track for the turn-frame.

reception of a dowel end P of a pile P.

The guide frame and its above described adjuncts may be lowered through the open end of the sheet piling A by means of a derrick rope which is hooked into the heart link K, and may remain suspended from said derrick rope until the suspension is transferred to the turn-frame which is suitably mounted over the guide frame, pile-driving mechanism and follower. This turn-frame (shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 4) consists of a well braced cross provided at the ends of its four arms with rollers which rest upon the edge of the sheet piling A, which thus One arm of the turn-frame cross is composed of channel bars D, upon which, as on a track, the hanger, generally designated as I in Fig. 1, is suspended. A chain hoist J secured to the hanger I has a suspension chain J to be hooked into the heart link K. A. Windlass WV (Figs. 1 and 2) may be provided with advantage, and is shown as secured to the channel bars D of the turnframe, generally designated in Figs. 1 and 2 as D. The details of the hanger I are shown in Figs. 7 and 8. The hanger comprises eye-bars I which hang from the trunnion I upon which the rollers I and shive I are mounted to turn.

The guide frame E and its above descrbed adjuncts having been lowered in place, the chain J is hooked into the heart link K and the weight of the guide frame E and its associated mechanism transferred from the derrick rope (not shown), by means of which the guide frame was lowered into place, to the suspension chain J, and the derrick rope may then be unhooked and removed.

In order to position the guide frame E so that the follower H may be connected with one of the piles P, the turn frame D is manipulated in the following manner: The hanger I being secured in position, holds the guide frame E directly over a circle drawn through the centers of the outer ring of pile P. To move the frame in'this circle until the follower I-I hangs directly over one of the piles, the following described mechanism will be employed: A shaft R, below and hung from the channel bars D of the turnframe D, is keyed to the roller U and carries the gearing shown in detail in Fig. 6. This gearing comprises a sprocket wheel R loose on the shaft R, a spur gear R fast to the sprocket wheel R, a spur gear R which, with a smaller spur gear R is secured to a short shaft ournaled in the hanger R". The gear R mesh-es with the gear It, which is keyed to the shaft R. Bevel gears, inclusively designated by K Fig. 2, communicate motion from the shaft It to the roller U. The chain R which passes over the sprocket wheel It hangs inside the cylindrical form B, so that it is within the reach of the workman who handles the turn-frame from below in order to position the guide frame E over the piles P in succession. The turn famc D being turned to the proper place, the guide frame E is lowered by means of the chain hoist J and its chain J until the thimble H (Fig. 5) on the follower H embraces the top of the pile P. Thereafter the raising and lowering of pile hammer frame F and the follower II may with advantage be done by the chain hoist O and its chain 0. hen the follower H is in place on top of the pile P, the pile hammer G is put in operation, the chain hoist O and chain 0 being relaxed so that. the follower and pilcdriving mechanism descend as fast as the pile P is driven into the bottom material M. When one pile has thus been driven, the pile hammer G is stopped, and the pile hammer frame F and follower H lifted by means of the chain hoist O, the guide frame E moved to place over another pile by means of the turn frame mechanism above described, the pile-driving mechanism and follower again lowered upon a pile, and the operation repeated until all the piles in the group contained in the pile frame are driven to the dcsired depth.

If desired, the workman stationed below the turn-frame D may be assisted by workmen above by means of the windlass IV and Windlass rope which can be hooked into the pile hammer frame F, or for that matter, to the heart link K. \Vhcn a central pile is to be driven the holding pin I is removed and placed through holes in the channel bars D in a proper position to bring the hanger I and the mechanism suspended therefrom directly over the central pile.

hen the sub-piling has been driven as above described, the derrick or other hoisting apparatus (not shown) may be brought into requisition, and the guide frame with the pile-driving mechanism and follower hoisted out; thereafter the pile frame C, C can be removed by similar means.

If the clearances do not permit the piledriving apparatus to be introduced to or removed from the sheet piling A, then, of course, the turn frame will. be removed to make room.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

I 1. The combination of a pile driver, its follower, a guide frame for the pile driver and follower, apile frame, and means to position the guide frame over piles in the pile frame, and to raise and lower the guide frame.

2. The combination of a pile driver, its follower, a guide frame for the pile driver and follower, a turn frame and means to support it over piles, suspension connections from the turn frame to the guide frame and means to raise and lower the guide frame, to position it over piles.

3. The combination of a pile driver, its follower, a guide frame for the pile driver and follower, a turn frame, means to support it over piles, a trolley on said turn frame, suspension connections from the trolley to the guide frame, and means to raise and lower the guide frame, to position it over piles.

4. The combination of a pile driver, its follower, a guide frame for the pile driver and follower, a tubular caisson, a pile frame loosely fitting said caisson, and means to position the guide frame over piles in the pile frame, and to raise and lower the guide frame.

5. The combination of a pile driver, its follower, a freely suspended guide frame for the pile driver and follower, a pile frame, and means to position the guide frame over piles in the pile frame, and to raise and lower the guide frame.

6. The combination of a pile driver, its follower, a freely suspended guide frame for the pile driver and follower, and means to position the guide frame over piles and to raise and lower the guide frame.

7. The combination of a pile driver, its follower, a freely suspended guide frame for the pile driver and follower, a turn frame and means to support it over piles, suspension connections from the turn frame to the guide frame and means to raise and lower the guide frame, to position it over piles.

8. The combination of a pile driver, its follower, a freely suspended guide frame for the pile driver and follower, a turn frame, means to support it over piles, a trolley on said turn frame, suspension conneclions from the trolley to the guide frame, and means to raise and lower the guide frame, to position it over piles.

9. The combination of a pile driver, its follower, a freely suspended guide frame for the pile driver and follower, a tubular caisson, a pile frame loosely fitting said caisson, and means to position the guide frame over piles in the pile frame, and to raise and lower the guide frame.

10. The combination of a pile driver frame, a pile driver mounted in the pile driver frame, a follower secured to the pile driver frame, the pile driver frame mounted to slide in a guide frame, the frame, av pile frame, and means to position the guide frame over piles in the pile frame and to raise and lower the guide frame.

11. The combination of a pile driver frame, a pile driver mounted in the pile driver frame, a follower secured to the pile driver frame, the pile driver frame mount-- ed to slide in a guide frame, the guide frame, and means to freely suspend and position the guide frame over piles, and means to raise and lower the guide frame,

12. The combination of a pile driver frame, a pile driver mounted in the pile driver frame, a follower secured to the pile driver frame, the pile driver frame mounted to slide in a guide frame, the guide frame, a turn frame and means to supportit over piles, suspension connections from the turn-frame to the guide frame, and means to raise and lower the guide frame, to position it over piles.

13. The combination of a pile driver fume, a pile driver mounted in the pile driver frame, a follower secured to the pile driver frame, the pile driver frame mounted to slide in a guide frame, the guide frame, a turn frame, means to support it over piles, a trolley on said turn frame, sus pension connections from the trolley to the guide frame, and means to raise and lower the guide frame, to position it over piles.

14. The combination of a pile driver frame, a pile driver mounted in the pile driver frame, a follower secured to the pile driver frame, the pile driver frame mounted to slide in a guide frame, the guideframe, a tubular caisson, a pile frame loosely fitting said caisson, and means to position the guide frame over piles in the pile frame, and to raise and lower the guide frame.

Signed by me at Seattle, lVashington, this 12th day of May 1913.

HARRISON S. TAFT. Witnesses EUGENE L. MoALLAsrnn, Cmrronn WILEY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). G. 

